Do You Two Ever Stop?
by Fafsernir
Summary: Ianto is stuck in the snow, and apparently has a problem with being stuck in a confined space.


_This fic is for love-and-equality on Tumblr :)_

 **Written for "Day 15** **: Anxiety/Depression" of Xmasprompts on Tumblr**

* * *

It was unusually snowing down Cardiff. Well, it wasn't unusual for Cardiff to witness snow, especially not around Christmas, but it was an unusual one. It was as if all the snow from one entire December month had decided to fall in the span of three days. And it wasn't just "like" it actually, but it was precisely this. According to Tosh's calculations, at least. The Rift had apparently – and somehow – swallowed the snow from the year 1843 to spit it out for some unknown reason in the 21st century.

Now, it wasn't that surprising in Torchwood standards, except that it multiplied accidents, and they still had to go retrieve what the Rift threw at them at the same time. In other words, shitty day at the office.

It was the second day, and Ianto was freezing outside, his scarf almost as cold as the snow in his hair. He liked snow, but he hated storms.

"Jack, where is it?"

Jack shrugged beside him, then Jack suddenly wasn't beside him. Or rather, he wasn't beside Jack any more.

"Fuck," Ianto mumbled as he got back on his feet.

He had just fallen into a stupid hole and oh God the hole was deeper than himself and he was surrounded by snow and it was so, _so_ fucking cold.

"Ianto, are you okay?!" Jack's voice said from above. "I'm gonna get you out of-"

Jack stopped and briefly yelled, and Ianto could hear someone clearly falling and Jack grunting.

"Jack?" Ianto called, worried.

"I'm fine!" Jack's voice answered and Ianto could tell he was behind him, behind the snow.  
He turned and scratched the snow, but winced at the pain. Right. He was freezing. And it didn't even feel like he was wearing gloves.

"So done with this job," Ianto muttered under his breath.

"I can hear you!" Jack said, not far away.

"Well, I hate this!" Ianto almost yelled. Well, he would have if he had been physically capable of doing so.

Jack suddenly appeared next to him, having thrown himself against the wall of snow separating them, and Ianto screamed as snow fell on them, pushing it away so they wouldn't be buried alive.

"Oh God no," Ianto whimpered.

Jack got on his feet and smiled. "What?"

"I think I broke my wrist in my fall," Ianto said.

"You think?" Jack repeated sceptically.

"I can't feel my hands much any more... but it seems to be hurting..."

"Are you okay?" Jack asked, taking Ianto's hand. "Geez, you're freezing."

"Yeah that's what I've been telling for- ouch!" He winced when Jack moved his wrist, and tried to get away but Jack grabbed his arm higher.

"Sorry," Jack mumbled. "You need Owen."

"I need my bed," Ianto whispered, closing his eyes.

"Ianto, stay with me," Jack said, putting a hand on Ianto's face, worried he would fall asleep or unconscious here.

Ianto hummed in answer.

"Ianto!"

"Jack, I'm not going anywhere... Just... call Tosh, maybe?"

Jack sighed and nodded, letting go of Ianto's arm to tap his comm.

"Ugh... Ianto," he said soon after.

"Yeah?" Ianto asked, his eyes mildly opened. God, he was so tired.

"Comms are dead," Jack said, looking worryingly at Ianto's reaction.

Ianto didn't react right away, staring blankly at Jack. Passed the moment of zoning out, he frowned and pursed his lips – the most adorable thing he did when he was angry.

"Are you kidding me... Oh fucking pieces of shit!" He exclaimed, now fully awake, and angry.

"Wow," Jack said.

Ianto was rarely ever that rude in such a short amount of time. But then again, he was rarely trapped in snow. Jack put a comforting hand on Ianto's shoulder.

"You okay?" Jack asked again, feeling that Ianto was looking around a lot.

"I don't like confined spaces," Ianto breathed out.

"You're okay in elevators?" Jack said, but more as a question than a statement, as if suddenly wondering if he hadn't missed something important about Ianto.

"Well, elevators are okay. I don't know. I just... don't like this."

Jack nodded and took Ianto in his arms, hesitating between talking him out of an eventual panic attack or warming him up so he wouldn't freeze to death. He tried both and started talking.

"I have an idea for warming you up but you won't like it," he smiled, hoping it would take Ianto's mind off the main problem.

Ianto scoffed. "I'm not going to have sex under two meters of snow."

"Can't blame a man for trying," Jack laughed.

Ianto sighed against him and dared to put his hands under Jack's coat to warm them up. He put his nose in Jack's soft scarf as well.

"How are you not freezing?"

"Well. It's a bit cold but I've seen worse. And someone insisted that I wear a waistcoat, and a jacket, and let me borrow one of his scarves, saying, and I quote, that he 'would very much enjoy stripping you out of all of this'."

"Bless that person."

Jack chuckled and pushed Ianto away just enough to kiss him. His mouth was so warm, Ianto thought as he responded to the kiss and closed his eyes.

* * *

"Oh Bloody Hell!" a voice called from above them not long after. "Even in the snow? Are you guys even real? When you're done snogging, you tell us."

Jack rolled his eyes and looked at Ianto who nodded.

"Do you two ever stop?" Owen asked from above, and even Ianto smiled.

"You took your time," Jack answered. "We had to keep ourselves busy!"

"And you couldn't try to climb back up?"

"We _fell_ into this, I don't think that would have been wise."

"True," Owen shrugged. "Anyway, we're here to pick you up. And I'm never letting you down with this."

Ianto looked tired for a second, as if already living Owen's constant banter that would follow him for a few days, but the moment passed quickly as Owen helped them get out.

"Thanks," Ianto muttered once he was safe and sound in the back-seat of the SUV.

"Owen, check Ianto," Jack said, and Owen frowned from the driver seat.

"Can't I do this back at the hub?" Owen sighed.

"He broke his wrist," Jack shook his head and Owen's head snapped to the side to glare at Ianto.

"Seriously? And you couldn't start by this?!"

Ianto shrugged and closed his eyes as he put his valid hand under him and held the other for Owen to examine. Owen rolled his eyes and sat at the back, letting Jack drive to the hub and checking Ianto's wrist with disapproving sounds and insults muttered under his breath.

The third – and last – day, Ianto stayed at the hub and gratefully let Gwen take his place on the field.


End file.
